philosophy 4-第5章

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The　clocks　of　Massachusetts　struck　eleven。　　Oscar　rose　doubtfully　from

his　chair　in　Billy's　study。　　Again　he　looked　into　Billy's　bedroom　and　at

the　empty　bed。　　Then　he　went　for　a　moment　and　watched　the　still　forcibly

sleeping　John。　　He　turned　his　eyes　this　way　and　that；　and　after　standing

for　a　while　moved　quietly　back　to　his　chair　and　sat　down　with　the

leather　wallet　of　notes　on　his　lap；　his　knees　together；　and　his

unblocked　shoes　touching。　　In　due　time　the　clocks　of　Massachusetts

struck　noon。





In　a　meadow　where　a　brown　amber　stream　ran；　lay　Bertie　and　Billy　on　the

grass。　　Their　summer　coats　were　off；　their　belts　loosened。　　They　watched

with　eyes　half　closed　the　long　water…weeds　moving　gently　as　the　current

waved　and　twined　them。　　The　black　gelding；　brought　along　a　farm　road　and

through　a　gate；　waited　at　its　ease　in　the　field　beside　a　stone　wall。　Now

and　then　it　stretched　and　cropped　a　young　leaf　from　a　vine　that　grew

over　the　wall；　and　now　and　then　the　want　wind　brought　down　the　fruit

blossoms　all　over　the　meadow。　　They　fell　from　the　tree　where　Bertie　and

Billy　lay；　and　the　boys　brushed　them　from　their　faces。　　Not　very　far

away　was　Blue　Hill；　softly　shining；　and　crows　high　up　in　the　air　came

from　it　occasionally　across　here。



By　one　o'clock　a　change　had　come　in　Billy's　room。　　Oscar　during　that

hour　had　opened　his　satchel　of　philosophy　upon　his　lap　and　read　his

notes　attentively。　　Being　almost　word　perfect　in　many　parts　of　them；　he

now　spent　his　unexpected　leisure　in　acquiring　accurately　the　language　of

still　further　paragraphs。〃　　The　sharp　line　of　demarcation　which

Descartes　drew　between　consciousness　and　the　material　world；〃　whispered

Oscar　with　satisfaction；　and　knew　that　if　Descartes　were　on　the

examination　paper　he　could　start　with　this　and　go　on　for　nearly　twenty

lines　before　he　would　have　to　use　any　words　of　his　own。　　As　he

memorized；　the　chambermaid；　who　had　come　to　do　the　bedrooms　three　times

already　and　had　gone　away　again；　now　returned　and　no　longer　restrained

her　indignation。　　〃Get　up　Mr。　Blake！　〃　she　vociferated　to　the　sleeping

John；　〃you　ought　to　be　ashamed！〃　　And　she　shook　the　bedstead。　　Thus　John

had　come　to　rise　and　discover　Oscar。　　The　patient　tutor　explained

himself　as　John　listened　in　his　pyjamas。



〃Why；　I'm　sorry；〃　said　he；　〃but　I　don't　believe　they'll　get　back　very

soon。〃



〃They　have　gone　away？〃　asked　Oscar；　sharply。



〃Ahyes；〃　returned　the　reticent　John。　　〃An　unexpected　matter　of

importance。〃



〃But；　my　dear　sir；　those　gentlemen　know　nothing！　　Philosophy　4　is

tomorrow；　and　they　know　nothing。〃



〃They'll　have　to　stand　it；　then；〃　said　John；　with　a　grin。



〃And　my　time。　　I　am　waiting　here。　　I　am　engaged　to　teach　them。　　I　have

been　waiting　here　since　ten。　　They　engaged　me　all　day　and　this　evening。



〃I　don't　believe　there's　the　slightest　use　in　your　waiting　now；　you

know。　　They'll　probably　let　you　know　when　they　come　back。〃



〃Probably！　　But　they　have　engaged　my　time。　　The　girl　knows　I　was　here

ready　at　ten。　　I　call　you　to　witness　that　you　found　me　waiting；　ready　at

any　time。〃



John　in　his　pyjamas　stared　at　Oscar。　　〃Why；　of　course　they'll　pay　you

the　whole　thing；〃　said　he；　coldly；　〃stay　here　if　you　prefer。〃　　And　he

went　into　the　bathroom　and　closed　the　door。



The　tutor　stood　awhile；　holding　his　notes　and　turning　his　little　eyes

this　way　and　that。　　His　young　days　had　been　dedicated　to　getting　the

better　of　his　neighbor；　because　otherwise　his　neighbor　would　get　the

better　of　him。　　Oscar　had　never　suspected　the　existence　of　boys　like

John　and　Bertie　and　Billy。　　He　stood　holding　his　notes；　and　then；

buckling　them　up　once　more；　he　left　the　room　with　evidently　reluctant

steps。　　It　was　at　this　time　that　the　clocks　struck　one。





In　their　field　among　the　soft　new　grass　sat　Bertie　and　Billy　some　ten

yards　apart；　each　with　his　back　against　an　apple　tree。　　Each　had　his

notes　and　took　his　turn　at　questioning　the　other。　　Thus　the　names　of　the

Greek　philosophers　with　their　dates　and　doctrines　were　shouted　gayly　in

the　meadow。　　The　foreheads　of　the　boys　were　damp　to…day；　as　they　had

been　last　night；　and　their　shirts　were　opened　to　the　air；　but　it　was　the

sun　that　made　them　hot　now；　and　no　lamp　or　gas；　and　already　they　looked

twice　as　alive　as　they　had　looked　at　breakfast。　　There　they　sat；　while

their　memories　gripped　the　summarized　list　of　facts　essential；　facts　to

be　known　accurately；　the　simple；　solid；　raw　facts；　which；　should　they

happen　to　come　on　the　examination　paper；　no　skill　could　evade　nor　any

imagination　supply。　　But　this　study　was　no　longer　dry　and　dreadful　to

them：　they　had　turned　it　to　a　sporting　event。　　〃What　about　Heracleitos？〃

Billy　as　catechist　would　put　at　Bertie。　　〃Eternal　flux；〃　Bertie　would

correctly　snap　back　at　Billy。　　Or；　if　he　got　it　mixed　up；　and　replied；

〃Everything　is　water；〃　which　was　the　doctrine　of　another　Greek；　then

Billy　would　credit　himself　with　twenty…five　cents　on　a　piece　of　paper。

Each　ran　a　memorandum　of　this　kind；　and　you　can　readily　see　how　spirited

a　character　metaphysics　would　assume　under　such　conditions。



〃I'm　going　in；〃　said　Bertie；　suddenly；　as　Billy　was　crediting　himself

with　a　fifty…cent　gain。　　〃What's　your　score？〃



〃Two　seventy…five；　counting　your　break　on　Parmenides。　　It'II　be　cold。〃



〃No；　it　won't。　　Well；　I'm　only　a　quarter　behind　you。〃　　And　Bertie　puffed

off　his　shoes。　　Soon　he　splashed　into　the　stream　where　the　bend　made　a

hole　of　some　depth。



〃Cold？〃　inquired　Billy　on　the　bank。　　Bertie　closed　his　eyes　dreamily。

〃Delicious；〃　said　he；　and　sank　luxuriously　beneath　the　surface　with　slow

strokes。



Billy　had　his　clothes　off　in　a　moment；　and；　taking　the　plunge；　screamed

loudly　〃You　liar！〃　he　yelled；　as　he　came　up。　　And　he　made　for　Bertie。



Delight　rendered　Bertie　weak　and　helpless；　he　was　caught　and　ducked；　and

after　some　vigorous　wrestling　both　came　out　of　the　icy　water。



〃Now　we've　got　no　towels；　you　fool；〃　said　Billy。



〃Use　your　notes；〃　said　Bertie；　and　he　rolled　in　the　grass。　　Then　they

chased　each　other　round　the　apple　trees；　and　the　black　gelding　watched

them　by　the　wall；　its　ears　well　forward。



While　they　were　dressing　they　discovered　it　was　half…past　one；　and

became　instantly　famished。　　〃We　should　have　brought　lunch　along；〃　they

told　each　other。　　But　they　forgot　that　no　such　thing　as　lunch　could　have

induced　them　to　delay　their　escape　from　Cambridge　for　a　moment　this

morning。　　〃What　do　you　suppose　Oscar　is　doing　now？〃　　Billy　inquired　of

Bertie；　as　they　led　the　black　gelding　back　to　the　road；　and　Bertie

laughed　like　an　infant。　　〃Gentlemen；〃　said　he；　in　Oscar's　manner；　〃we

now　approach　the　multiplicity　of　the　ego。〃　　The　black　gelding　must　have

thought　it　had　humorists　to　deal　with　this　day。





Oscar；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　was　eating　his　cheap　lunch　away　over　in

Cambridge。　　There　was　cold　mutton；　and　boiled　potatoes　with　hard　brown

spots　in　them；　and　large　picked　cucumbers；　and　the　salt　was　damp　and

would　not　shake　out　through　the　holes　in　the　top　of　the　bottle。　　But

Oscar　ate　two　helps　of　everything　with　a　good　appetite；　and　between

whiles　looked　at　his　notes；　which　lay　open　beside　him　on　the　table。　　At

the　stroke　of　two　he　was　again　knocking　at　his　pupils'　door。　　But　no

answer　came。　　John　had　gone　away　somewhere　for　indefinite　hours　and　the

door　was　locked。　　So　Oscar　wrote：　〃Called；　two　p。m。；〃　on　a　scrap　of

envelope；　signed　his　name；　and　put　it　through　the　letter…slit。　　It

crossed　his　mind　to　hunt　other　pupils　for　his　vacant　time；　but　he

decided　against　this　at　once；　and　returned　to　his　own　room。　　Three

o'clock　found　him　back　at　the　door；　knocking　scrupulously；　The　idea　of

performing　his　side　of　the　contract；　of　tendering　his　goods　and　standing

ready　at　all　times　to　deliver　them；　was　in　his　commercially　mature　mind。

This　time　he　had　brought　a　neat　piece　of　paper　with　him；　and　wrote　upon

it；　〃Called；　three　P。M。；〃　and　signed　it　as　before；　and　dep